LAHORE: A rise in swine flu patients is being witnessed in the provincial metropolis. Eight more patients were admitted to various government and private hospitals on Saturday. According to hospital sources, a majority of the patients are elderly women from other cities of the province as well as Lahore. The patients include Haleema Bibi, resident of Gulberg, Shabana of Ravi Road, Shahida of Samnabad, a three-month old child from Khanewal and 65-year-old Ibrahim of Faislabad. The patients are under treatment in Jinnah Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Doctors Hospital and Hameed Latif Hospital. The administrations of the hospitals said that the test of all patients sent to National Institute of Health in Islamabad. The provincial focal person on swine flu said that around 19 other patients had been admitted in various hospitals. Several new patients are also under treatment. After the confirmation of their test reports, further treatment will be provided to them. The focal person said that the seasonal influenza vaccine and all related medicine were available in bulk quantity at the hospitals. The government has announced a massive awareness drive against the spread of the disease and to combat it at the union council level, he said. Swine flu is one of the variants of the H1N1 virus. It enters the human body and weakens the defense mechanisms of our immune system from within. Health experts say that the virus can affect people of all ages. However, women and children are at increased risk of catching the disease. The virus can also be transmitted if the infected person coughs or sneezes around other people. Hospitals: The Punjab Healthcare Commission has suspended all surgeries in 23 operation theatres of five hospitals across the city. It also issued show-cause notices to 17 healthcare establishments for violating the provisions of the PHC Act 2010 and not implementing the Minimum Service Delivery Standards on Saturday. According to the details, PHC took action against hospitals that did not follow the PHC regulations and SOPs. Ten operation theaters were sealed in Ittefaq Hospital. Others are located in Lahore General Hospital, Government Teaching Hospital Shahdarah, Sharif Medical City Hospital and Life Hospital. The hospital administrations have been directed to submit laboratory reports to the commission, confirming that standardized measures had been implemented in their theatres. Also, these healthcare establishments have also been served show-cause notices. During the last two days, the inspection teams of the PHC inspected 28 hospitals, and served show-cause notices on 22 HCEs for their failure to implement the MSDS. These hospitals included Services Hospital, Lady Willingdon Hospital, Children’s and Institute of Child Health, Gulab Devi Hospital, Wapda Teaching Hospital Complex, Doctors’ Hospital and Medical Centre, Bahria Town Hospital, Arif Memorial Teaching Hospital, Zainab Memorial Hospital, Omer Hospital, Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust Hospital, Saira Memorial Hospital, Khairunnisa Hospital, Horizon Hospital, Mid City Hospital, Masood Hospital and Farooq Hospital. Published in Daily Times, January 14th 2018.